


Red

by Angryangryowl



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Haunted House, M/M, Soft Kylux, summer jobs au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-10-11
Packaged: 2018-08-21 21:25:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8260915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angryangryowl/pseuds/Angryangryowl
Summary: Kylo and Hux meet working at Wonder World over the summer, they will eventually go back to separate colleges. They express how they feel about each other on the very last day they work together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Day 9 of Huxloween: Haunted House

This is the last day. Their last day working together, the last day of the summer, the end of it all. And Kylo’s done nothing. Oh sure, he's worked. WonderWorld has been chaotic all summer. He's sold ice cream, told fortunes, operated rides, and mostly kept his temper the whole time. He’d like to tell him mom it was all for some noble pursuit of self-improvement. But he knows that really, it's all for him.

Kylo's starts off calling him Red when he refuses to tell Kylo his name on their first day of training. He quietly takes a manager aside and returns with a name tag bearing only three letters: Hux. Well, that's hardly embarrassing at all. It's too short and too harsh for the man it belongs to. Kylo torments him with ‘Red’ until Hux stops reacting. By then it's almost a term of affection. He starts any work-related notes he has to leave for Hux with RED!, all capital letters, in appropriately-coloured marker. Sometimes, towards the end of the summer, he includes a little heart after the exclamation point. Hux doesn't seem to notice.

He’s almost (but not quite) as tall as Kylo’s own six foot four. Bright auburn hair in a strict side part that would make him look a little like a Sunday School teacher, were he not scowling all the time. Piercing green eyes that made Kylo feel like Hux was reading his mind. A straight nose, slightly turned up at the end. A scattering of freckles, which starts on the bridge of his nose and blooms in the hot weather, peppering his cheeks, forehead and chin. Kylo wants to kiss every one. And those full, rosy lips too.

But he doesn't of course. And now it's the last day. The crowds have waned as people travel back home for school. He and Hux will be travelling back to separate colleges in a couple of days. They’ve had fun. Hux is a resistant pupil, but Kylo teaches him to juggle, three oranges then four. He pretends not to care but practices when he has to man the tin-can stand, and shows off to anyone who will watch. 

Phasma enters them into the three-legged race at employee sports day. Hux is ruthless, and whilst Kylo is hesitating over exactly where on Hux he is allowed to rest his hand, Hux is rolling his eyes, taking him by the wrist and placing Kylo’s arm around his shoulders ‘because you're taller, just’ and slipping his own arm around Kylo's waist. Hux trips Mitaka fairly early on, who takes Thannisson down with him and gets a mouthful of dirt. Phasma and Rey are slowed up because Phasma can't stop laughing, and Finn and Poe are too busy flirting mercilessly with each other to notice, but put up a good fight anyway. They stagger-limp to the finish line with Hux barking commands at Kylo which foot to move. They collapse, laughing, shortly after, and perhaps hold hands a little longer than necessary before they are cut apart.

Kylo smiles a little remembering this. Hux is spending his last day in costume at the haunted house. This is one thing he sincerely loves. The zombie costume is tattered and smelly, and it's stiflingly hot inside the house, but he seems to take a lot of pleasure in terrifying people.

It's quiet now. Aside from the spooky organ music playing outside, strangely even more eerie in the September sunshine, it's quiet. No laughter or screams. It's a little late in the day and most people are heading for their cars. 

Kylo enters through the theatrically creaky front door, ducks around the swinging (rubber) axe blade in the hallway, and into the front room. Hux prefers to hide behind the couch, most people are too focussed on the bubbling cauldron, set up with flickering green lights and a lot of fake blood, in the fireplace. He has the advantage of surprise and can occasionally creep close enough to tap people on the shoulder before they scream.

He heads straight for the couch, looking behind it. Strange, no Hux. He creeps through into the blood-spattered kitchen, hoping to surprise Hux. 

Hux gets him first, grabbing his ankle in the hallway. Kylo screams.

Giggling, Hux stands, pulling off the (admittedly pretty unnerving) zombie mask. ‘Aren't you meant to be on the roller coaster today?’

Kylo shrugs ‘They closed it early so maintenance could start. We wern’t exactly busy. I know you’re heading back tonight and I wanted to say goodbye, I guess.’

Hux looks solomn for a minute, but then cracks a smile. It's eerie with the rest of his costume still on,his shirt front plastered with fake gore. ‘I think we could talk a couple of minutes.’

He takes Kylo’s hand and leads him through the dark, swatting aside a soft toy rat that falls out of the fielding. Hisfingers are soft and cool in spite of the sweltering heat. 

Hux pulls aside a piece of scenery just beside the bedroom door, leading Kylo into a small room with chipboard walls. There's water bottle, snacks, Hux’s jacket and a few costume pieces hung from a nail, and various pots of theatrical make up next to a chipped mirror.

‘You're not going tonight?’

Kylo shakes his head ‘Going to fly home for a couple of days first, my mom paid so..you're going tonight?’

Hux nods ‘It’s a long drive and I need to move into my new room, class starts Monday.’

They stare at each other. Hux looks almost longing for a moment before he looks away. ‘I...it's been fun.’ He says with a small smile, offering Kylo his hand to shake. 

Kylo takes it, slowly, neither keen to let go. ‘Well, you've got my email, I guess..’

‘We’ll work something out.’ Hux nods. 

Kylo looks down at their still joined hands. He speaks too quickly ‘Maybe we could-’

‘Yes?’ Hux encourages, trying to catch Kylo’s eye even as he looks down.

‘Nothing. Maybe we can see each other at spring break or something.’ Kylo’s heart sinks into his gut. He was so close to blurting out a lot of things. See me at Christmas. See me at the weekend. Stay with me. Let me come with you.

‘I’d like that.’ 

And just as Kylo turns to leave with his dignity, at least, Hux catches him by the wrist, not quite looking at him.

‘Wait.’

‘Hmm?’

Hux doesn't answer. At least not in words, not right away. He gently pulls Kylo back toward him, a hand resting on his hip. Their chests almost touch. Hux’s eyes are closed.

‘I’m going to do this. I’m going to kiss you, if I’m allowed. Before I lose my nerve completely.’ Hux mumbles,he sounds more like he's trying to convince himself than anything else.

Kylo doesn't quite dare to breathe. This isn't real, this isn't happening, but it is and he can smell greasepaint and fresh sweat and soap on Hux, feel his steady breaths against his mouth and chin. He realises Hux is still waiting, faltering. ‘Alright…’

It's barely a kiss. A brush of Hux’s soft lips over his own. Careful. Hux is normally the first person to charge forward for what he wants, knocking others out of the way if necessary. But now he’s stopped, blushing, lips still temptingly close. ‘Okay?’

It's not nearly enough, for either of them. It's not a real goodbye. ‘Come here..’ Kylo slips a hand into the small of his back, pressing their bellies, chests, then lips together. He tastes of coffee, and a tang of cigarette smoke Kylo wants more of. One, two, presses of his lips, and Hux’s arms are around him, carefully looped around his neck, another and he tilts his head, just barely, the kiss deepens, the tip of Hux's tongue nudges his own and oh..

***

It's the worst kept secret and the most expected surprise. But hearing the door buzzer at 11pm, two days before Christmas still makes Hux jump up a little too quick. That’s their second kiss, after three months, endless text messages, too many late night Skype calls and wondering if they're both idiots for trying to make this work.

Their third, fourth, fifth, in the hallway, their sixth falling through Hux’s bedroom door, and their seventh, blissfully, heatedly, in his bed.


End file.
